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The Danish Demining Group (DDG) removes two mines located near the mosque in a bustling town in South Sudan. The town is located next to a refugee camp, which is home to more than 45,000 refugees from the bordering Sudan. The high number of explosive remnants of war continues to pose a serious threat for the local population as well as refugees in South Sudan.
The mines were discovered by two local construction workers, located in the heart of the busy Bunj Market in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State. One of the village elders called upon the demining unit of the Danish Refugee Council, the Danish Demining Group (DDG). Upon careful investigation the clearance team found that the mines were safe to remove. The clearance took place in April 2013. A radius of 200 m from the mosque was evacuated, and the main road to the market had to be cordoned off. The whole process took about two and a half hours.
“It is normal procedure that community members call upon DDG when a mine or explosive remnants of war is found within their community. They are often our most important source of information,” says Michael Storey, DDG Head of programmes in South Sudan.
Still, the level of awareness about mines is low in the communities. It is still common that children are involved in mine accidents.
“There is clearly a great need for mine risk education in South Sudan. People are not always aware about the dangers of ERW in the area,” Michael Storey says. Alongside the disposal of unexploded ordnances, DDG therefore also conducts mine risk education sessions to raise awareness on this issue.
More than 20 years of civil war has left numerous remnants of war littered across the country and this still affects the civilian population. The Danish Demining Groups has been operational in South Sudan since 2006. Despite some progress over the years, the struggle to free the country of mines and other remnants of war is not over yet. With the rainy season coming up, operational challenges will increase.
“The rainy season is just about to begin. This complicates demining activities and in addition, the rain washes up old mines. With the low level of awareness in the area it enhances the risk of accidents,” Michael Storey says. In response to this, DDG is working to demolish as many mines as possible before the rain starts.
The Danish Demining Group is currently operational in five out of South Sudan’s ten states. DDG’s community-driven approach ensures that teams respond to the concerns and fears of community members about contamination in their areas. In 2012, DDG cleared 140,616 m2 of contaminated land for homes, agricultural and commercial use. In addition, more than 50,000 men, women and children have participated in mine risk education classes.
